Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the Michigan Senate, is under scrutiny for attending the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention. This attention comes after ISNA removed a scheduled speaker, Pakistani cleric Mufti Tariq Masood, who was criticized for past remarks on Hitler, Jews, and jihad.
Masood had been listed to speak alongside El-Sayed at the Detroit event. According to The Washington Free Beacon, ISNA quietly removed Masood after backlash. His controversial comments, including statements appearing to praise Hitler’s actions and defending child marriage, drew widespread criticism.
“The Quran had foreshadowed Hitler 1,400 years ago,” Dr. Andrew Bostom mentioned regarding one of Masood’s sermons reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The removal of Masood led the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) to urge Secretary of State Marco Rubio to deny the cleric’s visa. Morton Klein, ZOA’s National President, labeled Masood as “racist and Jew-hate-mongering,” accusing him of inciting terror and praising Hitler’s genocide.
Despite his removal, El-Sayed faced queries about his choice to participate. At the convention, he joined a panel with figures like Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur and New Jersey cleric Zaid Shakir. The session, titled “Cultivating God Awareness in a Turmoiled America,” intended to provide actionable guidance to thrive in society.
Both Uygur and Shakir have controversial backgrounds. In February, Uygur expressed disbelief in the “official 9/11 story,” claiming media brainwashing. Shakir has described himself as “extremely anti-American,” reportedly suggesting guerrilla tactics for political influence.
The conference’s timing, close to the 25th anniversary of 9/11, highlighted the presence of such guests and El-Sayed’s involvement. Previously, El-Sayed faced backlash over tweets from September 11, 2021, where he mourned the 9/11 victims but criticized American actions abroad.
“Today, I mourn the 3K lives, 6K injuries…Tomorrow, I’ll mourn ~1M lives, millions of injuries…perpetrated…in the name of my country,” he wrote, as reported by The New York Post.
During the ISNA conference, El-Sayed addressed issues like anti-Muslim sentiment. He discussed the challenges faced by Muslim Americans, emphasizing the perception that they are “less than” due to their faith.
El-Sayed’s political campaign previously aligned with controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. Piker faced backlash in 2019 for comments suggesting “America deserved 9/11,” a statement he later retracted with an apology. El-Sayed critiqued some of Piker’s remarks but has not fully disavowed him.
Fox News Digital attempted to contact El-Sayed and ISNA for their comments.